What is the divine council?
1. The Divine Council: Biblical Reality, Not Myth
The divine council, sometimes called the “heavenly host” or “assembly of the holy ones,” is a biblical concept found in passages such as Psalm 82:1: “God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods.” The “gods” (Hebrew elohim) in this context are not false gods or idols, nor are they human judges (as some argue), but created spiritual beings who serve under God's ultimate authority.
In Psalm 89:6–7, the psalmist writes: “For who in the heavens can be compared to the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the Lord? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all those around Him.” This language clearly depicts a structured assembly of heavenly beings, not humans.
2. Membership: Angelic Beings, Not Deities
This council is not made up of “gods” in the sense of deity. Rather, these are angelic beings—loyal and fallen—who are called elohim in Hebrew simply to denote that they belong to the spiritual, unseen realm. Job 1:6 says: “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.” The term “sons of God” (bene elohim) is used here to refer to high-ranking spiritual beings, not humans.
Similarly, in 1 Kings 22:19, the prophet Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left.” This is another divine council scene—God is surrounded by His heavenly host, receiving input on how to accomplish His sovereign will.
3. Authority: God Rules Alone, Yet Permits Participation
It’s essential to affirm that in Baptist theology—and consistent with Scripture—God is the sole sovereign authority. The divine council is not a deliberative body whose vote is needed to ratify God's decrees. Rather, it serves a consultative or ministerial role under His rule. Isaiah 46:10 declares: “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.’”
Even so, God does at times permit His heavenly beings to participate in carrying out His judgments. For example, in Daniel 4:17, we read: “This decision is by the decree of the watchers, and the sentence by the word of the holy ones, in order that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men.” These “watchers” are likely members of the divine council tasked with declaring God's judgment against Nebuchadnezzar.
4. The Divine Council and the New Testament Church
The concept of divine council theology gains its fullest expression in the victory of Christ. According to Colossians 2:15: “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” Through the cross, Jesus triumphed over the spiritual rulers who rebelled against God.
Moreover, Ephesians 3:10–11 tells us: “To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Here, the church itself becomes a witness to the spiritual realm—proclaiming the wisdom of God not only to the world, but to the heavenly hosts as well.
5. Conclusion: Reclaiming a Biblical Supernatural Worldview
Understanding the divine council helps believers develop a fuller biblical worldview that recognizes that God works not only through human agents, but also through a structured spiritual realm. Yet at the same time, God remains utterly unique—“For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?” (Psalm 18:31).
We are not called to interact with the divine council directly, nor to speculate where Scripture is silent. But understanding their role magnifies our awe of God’s dominion over all realms and deepens our understanding of the spiritual battle described in Ephesians 6:12: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
